Originally Posted by
SacFlyer
I haven't stayed at either property, but I stayed next door at the Melia Bali, and walked through the grounds and public areas of both the Westin and the Sheraton.
This is one case where I think most people will prefer the Sheraton to the Westin. Both are fine properties, and both touch the same beach, but the Sheraton seems more like a total resort while the Westin looks and feels a bit more like a business or convention hotel--though it's located in one of the world's prime tropical resort areas. I felt that I wouldn't be unhappy at the Westin, but that the Sheraton "showed off" a bit more. Or course, I didn't see rooms in either one. Both seemed very well maintained.
Since the Sheraton costs a bit more, the equation is pretty even.
Pretty astute observation and a good summary of the properties. I have stayed at both and the Laguna is a lot nicer (reversing the usual pecking order where the Westin is a step up form the Sheraton, here it is definitely a step down). The room interiors are even more of a difference (though the Laguna was allowed to be run down too much before refurbishing the rooms, perhaps understandable in view of the economic difficulties). The grounds at the Laguna are spectacular and would cost a fortune to build in a normal economy (they ground excavation was done by the Indonesian army as a training exercise, as the property was originally built by the ruling oligarchy prior to their expulsion). The Westin had a better set of upgrades, making it a bit more competitive, but really the Sheraton Laguna is a lot nicer. The beach is a bit frustrating (very shallow).